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There are few things more refreshing on a blistering summer day than a spritz. The crisp carbonation, balance of bitter and sweet flavors, and that big ol’ spritz glass combine for a delicious drink. The downside? After one, you’ll start feeling those spritz sweats. You know what I’m talking about. The 11% ABV creeps up on you, especially on a hot afternoon.
So, my new summer drink of choice takes the best of a summer spritz and puts it in a ridiculously sessionable light wine. Easy Wine is a 5.8% ABV sparkling rose packaged in 12 ounce cans. It’s light, simple, and damn refreshing. You can forget those post-day drinking 5 PM hangovers.
Easy Wine For Leisure Time
Easy Wine, which launched this past spring, is a California brand brought to you by the team at Vermont-based Shacksbury, who make some top notch craft cider. Shacksbury has dabbled in wine-inspired ciders and co-ferments, a blend of apples and wine grapes, in the past and have collaborated with a handful of breweries, wineries, and distilleries to craft creative concoctions that blur beverage boundaries. For Luke Schmuecker, a Founding Partner at both Shacksbury and Easy Wine, the decision to launch Easy Wine as its own separate brand was natural.
“When we were creating this, we didn’t want it to feel like another brewery creating a hard seltzer,” explains Schmuecker. “We wanted to create something that was built like wine but at a lower alcohol content. And it’s something that has already worked its way into our lives in a major way.”
And they’re not the only ones. “How do I put this... I am obsessed with Easy Wine,” one reviewer shares. “Sometimes I really want to drink wine in the afternoon when I’m in my backyard doing some gardening. But it’s taking the day down a very different path. This is fitting in exactly. It’s the product I didn’t know my life was missing.”
If Spritz And Piquette Had A Baby
“If piquette and spritz had a love child, it’d be Easy Wine,” shares Schmuecker with a laugh.
The team at Easy Wine sources their grapes from a network of California grape farms. To make the final product, they use a combination of Riesling, Muscat, and Cabernet skins to make a full-bodied wine built to be blended down. “You need grapes that have a lot of character,” Schmuecker notes. “That would be a powerhouse at a full alcoholic level.” Fresh sparkling water joins the party to add carbonation and bring the ABV down to crushable levels before canning.
Unlike other seltzers or mass-market canned wines that add natural flavorings, Easy Wine is pure grape juice and sparkling water. Plain and simple.
“I landed on ‘light wine’ as the descriptor for this because it’s simple,” Schmuecker explains. “Everything about Easy Wine is supposed to be easy.”
That includes the packaging. The Easy Wine team purposefully packaged their light wine in 12 ounce cans so each one could be a single serving. No more worrying about polishing off a bottle of Prosecco solo.
“It’s complex enough that you feel like you’re drinking something special but it’s built to be easy to consume.”
Wine For The Tennis Court, Front Porch, And Anywhere Really
“When it’s afternoon, it’s warm out, you want to drink wine but it’s too hot...that’s where Easy Wine fits,” Schmuecker says.
There’s nothing pretentious or stuffy about Easy Wine. It’s meant to be enjoyed anywhere - from the patio table at your favorite bar to your front porch. In fact, the southern California resort The Courts has already started stocking cans of Easy Wine in its campers. “It’s like the unofficial clubhouse for Easy Wine,” says Schmuecker.
Easy Wine has already started distribution in several states including Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and northern California with SoCal and New York soon to follow. Plus, you can buy a 12-pack of 12 oz. cans directly from Easy Wine which ships to any states where you can ship alcohol.
5 More Reasons to Love Easy Wine
- In addition to Easy Wine Pink, Easy Wine Red and Easy Wine White will likely be launching in the fall. There’s also the potential for Easy Wine Orange some time in the future.
- The branding for Easy Wine, retro and nostalgic in the best way possible, was whipped up by the talented design team at California’s The Courts.
- There’s some extremely rad merch that will be hitting the Easy Wine online store including a structured koozie, bumper stickers, shirts, and more.
- In addition to being only 5.8% ABV, there’s only 170 calories with zero added sugar. Just pure unadulterated grape juice.
- Although Easy Wine isn’t a genuine spritz itself, we’d highly recommend trying it out as the base sparkling wine in a simple spritz drink. Just toss in a bit of your favorite amaro. Kind of defeats the “easy” part of Easy Wine but 🤷♂️
